Youth Voice Amplified

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office

What happens when we stop talking about young people and start listening to them?Join host Gennessa Fisher for Youth Voice Amplified, a youth-led podcast where youth share their lived experiences, their ideas, and the change they want to see in their communities.In Season 2, we meet young people who are turning their experiences into action and working alongside adults to make a difference. Through honest conversations about foster care, homelessness, advocacy, identity, and more, our guests share not only what they’ve been through, but what they’ve learned and what adults can do better. If you want to better understand, support, and work alongside youth or simply be inspired by what happens when youth are given the opportunity to lead...this is your show!

  1. 3d ago

    Finding Home: “I Have to Leave Here Today” — Larenzo's Story

    This November, Youth Voice Amplified is doing something special for Homeless Youth Awareness Month! Each week, we're sharing a powerful, firsthand story from a young person who has experienced homelessness. Finding Home: Real Stories of Youth Homelessness, continues with Larenzo's story, "I Had to Figure Out Everything." At just 18, Larenzo had graduated from high school early and was pursuing his future at Job Corps. But when an unexpected medical condition forced him to return home, he discovered his family was facing eviction. Suddenly, Larenzo wasn't just worried about his own future. He was trying to figure out where his younger siblings would go and where he would find a place to stay. From moving between temporary homes to finding stability through a transitional housing program, Larenzo shares the challenges of navigating homelessness, the people who helped him along the way, and what he's learned about asking for help and taking care of himself. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram  @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Audio Engineering & Editing: Liam Silva - silvasoulmedia@gmail.com Production Partner: Kern Education Television Network Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Finding Home: “I Have to Leave Here Today” — Larenzo's Story

  2. Nov 4

    Finding Home: “That Was My Life in That Backpack” — Gennessa's Story

    This November, Youth Voice Amplified is doing something special for Homeless Youth Awareness Month! Each week, we're sharing a powerful, firsthand story from a young person who has experienced homelessness. These are stories of survival, resilience, and hope. We're kicking off our special series, Finding Home: Real Stories of Youth Homelessness, with our very own host, Gennessa Fisher. At just 17, Gennessa found herself navigating homelessness with nearly everything she owned in a backpack. From sleeping in college bathrooms to finding people who believed in her, Gennessa shares the experiences that shaped her journey and inspired her to become an advocate for other youth. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram  @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Audio Engineering & Editing: Liam Silva - silvasoulmedia@gmail.com Production Partner: Kern Education Television Network Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Finding Home: “That Was My Life in That Backpack” — Gennessa's Story

  3. Oct 7

    Youth Voice Goes to D.C.: Taking a Seat at the National Table

    In this special episode of Youth Voice Amplified, four members of Kern County’s Youth Action Board travel from Bakersfield to Washington, D.C., for the National Summit on Youth Homelessness. Come along from the 2 a.m. pickups and first flights to conference sessions, conversations with Youth Action Boards from across the country, snow in D.C., and a very cold nighttime tour of the national monuments. Along the way, the group reflects on homelessness, youth leadership, tokenism, and what it really means for youth with lived experience to have a voice in the systems designed to support them. It’s part conference, part travel diary, and part story about what can happen when youth get the opportunity to listen, connect, learn, and bring new ideas home! Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram  @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Audio Engineering & Editing: Liam Silva - silvasoulmedia@gmail.com Production Partner: Kern Education Television Network Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Youth Voice Goes to D.C.: Taking a Seat at the National Table

  4. Sep 2

    Fully You: Finding Identity and Purpose After Foster Care

    What does it take to feel fully like yourself after growing up in foster care? In this episode of Youth Voice Amplified, Gennessa sits down with Christian for an honest conversation about foster care, belonging, identity, and finding his voice. Christian shares what it was like to grow up feeling isolated, navigate the foster care system, and search for people who truly understood him. He also reflects on the mentors, siblings, and community supports that helped him move forward, and why being accepted for who you are can make all the difference. Now, Christian is turning his lived experience into purpose through advocacy, art, and public speaking. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram  @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Audio Engineering & Editing: Liam Silva - silvasoulmedia@gmail.com Production Partner: Kern Education Television Network Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Fully You: Finding Identity and Purpose After Foster Care

  5. Aug 5

    Youth Know Best: Honest Advice from Youth with Lived Experience

    We're kicking off a brand-new season of Youth Voice Amplified with a conversation that every service provider, policymaker, and community member needs to hear. In this special episode, members of Kern County's Youth Action Board (YAB)—young adults with lived experience of homelessness—take the microphone to share what truly helps, what unintentionally causes harm, and how adults can build trust with youth experiencing homelessness. Through honest stories, practical advice, and powerful moments of vulnerability, these young leaders challenge us to move beyond assumptions and start listening. Their message is simple but profound: the best solutions begin by hearing the voices of the youth living the experience. If you've ever wondered how to better support youth facing homelessness, this conversation will change the way you think. Resources & information mentioned in the episode: Through Our Eyes Photojournalism Project Kern County Youth Resource GuideFind helpful resources mentioned in this podcast episode.Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram  @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Audio Engineering & Editing: Liam Silva - silvasoulmedia@gmail.com Production Partner: Kern Education Television Network Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Youth Know Best: Honest Advice from Youth with Lived Experience

  6. Jul 1

    The Final Mic Check: Brian's Goodbye Episode

    After more than three years behind the mic, Brian Johnson records his final episode of Youth Voice Amplified.  Join Gennessa and Brian as they revisit the early days of building the podcast from scratch, laugh through behind-the-scenes travel mishaps and recording bloopers, revisit powerful conversations with youth and adult allies, and hear surprise messages from former guests whose lives Brian touched along the way.  It's a celebration of friendship, purpose, and a mission that will continue long after his final sign-off.  Related Episodes  Angela's Story of Survival, Strength, and Starting Over (Part 1)The Power of Transformative Thinking: Rico's Journey (Part 1)His Comeback Season: Himothy's Journey Through Juvenile Justice (Part 1)Amplifying Student Voices: A Conversation with Dr. John MendiburuHeart Work for the Holidays with Tina Tyler SmithBreaking the Cycle: Youth, Gun Violence & Hope with Chief Brent StrattonFind helpful resources mentioned in this podcast episode. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram – @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastIf you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Brian Johnson, Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Production Partners: Liam Silva and Kern Education Television Network, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    The Final Mic Check: Brian's Goodbye Episode

  7. Jun 4

    Behind the YACT Summit: SWAT Students on Youth-Led Change (Part 2)

    In Part 2 of our special live series from the 4th Annual Youth Against Commercial Tobacco Summit, Brian and Gennessa sit down with members of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), the youth-led coalition helping organize the event from behind the scenes. Together, they talk about what it’s really like to plan a youth conference, why tobacco prevention matters so deeply to them personally, and how students can use their voices to create change in their schools and communities. The conversation explores peer pressure, accessibility of tobacco products, youth advocacy, leadership, and the importance of giving students real opportunities to lead in addition to a hilarious detour into debates about pickles and peanut butter sandwiches! This episode is a powerful reminder that youth-led spaces matter and when young people are trusted to lead, they can create meaningful impact for the next generation! Youth-Led Event Resources & Related Episodes  Live from the YACT Summit: Students Speak Out on Tobacco Prevention (Part 1)For Teens, By Teens: 25 Years of Leaders In Life PodcastA Youth Roundtable on Homelessness & Hope PodcastInside Youth Homelessness: Voices from the FrontlineSupporting Youth-Led Events Mini-Guidebook (Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office) Students Working Against TobaccoBlue Zones Project BakersfieldKern County Public HealthFind helpful resources mentioned in this podcast episode. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram – @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastYouth Voice Amplified on Facebook If you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Brian Johnson, Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Production Partners: Liam Silva and Kern Education Television Network, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Behind the YACT Summit: SWAT Students on Youth-Led Change (Part 2)

  8. May 6

    Live from the YACT Summit: Students Speak Out on Tobacco Prevention (Part 1)

    What happens when students are handed the microphone and asked to speak up about an issue impacting their generation?  In this special live episode of Youth Voice Amplified, Brian and Gennessa sit down with students from across Kern County at the 4th Annual Youth Against Commercial Tobacco Summit in Bakersfield, California hosted by the Blue Zones Project Bakersfield, Kern County Public Health, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office, and Students Working Against Tobacco. After learning how podcasting can be used as a tool for advocacy from Brian ad Gennessa, student teams reflected on powerful questions about vaping, tobacco marketing, peer pressure, and protecting their future. Each school selected one or two students to then step up to the mic and share their group’s message on our podcast! In Part 1 of this two-part series, you’ll hear honest, thoughtful, and inspiring perspectives from students who use their voices to raise awareness and create change. Students also created powerful art pieces for a youth art gallery, offering another creative look into their experiences, perspectives, and messages for change. View the gallery here. Youth voice is powerful. And these students are proving it! Find helpful resources mentioned in this podcast episode. Connect with Youth Voice Amplified Youth Voice Amplified PodcastInstagram – @youthvoiceamplifiedpodcastYouth Voice Amplified on Facebook If you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Credits: Producers: Brian Johnson, Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste Production Partners: Liam Silva and Kern Education Television Network, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer  💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

    Live from the YACT Summit: Students Speak Out on Tobacco Prevention (Part 1)
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About

What happens when we stop talking about young people and start listening to them?Join host Gennessa Fisher for Youth Voice Amplified, a youth-led podcast where youth share their lived experiences, their ideas, and the change they want to see in their communities.In Season 2, we meet young people who are turning their experiences into action and working alongside adults to make a difference. Through honest conversations about foster care, homelessness, advocacy, identity, and more, our guests share not only what they’ve been through, but what they’ve learned and what adults can do better. If you want to better understand, support, and work alongside youth or simply be inspired by what happens when youth are given the opportunity to lead...this is your show!

Information

  • Creator
    Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Youth Voice Amplified
  • Show Website
    Youth Voice Amplified